Obbe Vermeij reveals the engineering challenges behind porting the 2008 masterpiece to modern consoles, while Xbox players face game-breaking issues that make the final mission nearly unplayable.

Grand Theft Auto 4 cannot be played on PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series X version suffers from game-breaking issues that make it feel like a compromised experience. For a game widely considered the series' creative peak, this situation has left fans demanding a proper current-generation remaster.

The technical challenges might be real, but they're not insurmountable, according to Obbe Vermeij, who worked at Rockstar Games during GTA 4's original development. "It won't be easy," Vermeij explained on Twitter about a potential port. "There will have been loads of changes in RAGE between 2008 and now. But still; the effort of porting gta4 would be tiny compared to building a new game."

RAGE, Rockstar's proprietary game engine, has undergone considerable evolution since GTA 4's 2008 release. Updating the game would require adapting its code to work with the modern version of the engine, a complex process that goes far beyond simple visual improvements.

The original development faced particular challenges on PlayStation 3 hardware. "It was much harder getting the same performance out of a PS3 compared to 360," Vermeij noted. "The 360 had much better tools to work with." These technical complications continue to influence how the game might be brought to current systems.

Xbox players can access GTA 4 through backward compatibility, but this creates new problems. The improved frame rate on Xbox Series X actually breaks gameplay elements, most importantly making a quicktime event in the final mission nearly impossible to complete due to altered timing.

The specter of Rockstar's troubled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition looms over any potential remaster. That 2021 release launched with numerous technical issues and received widespread criticism, serving as a cautionary example of how classic game revivals can go wrong.

Vermeij has previously expressed hope for a GTA 4 remaster while acknowledging the need for it to launch in better condition than the trilogy collection. The technical expertise exists to make such a project happen, but the business case must justify the engineering effort required to properly update this acclaimed but aging masterpiece.

For now, one of gaming's most sophisticated crime stories remains trapped between console generations, accessible only through flawed solutions while fans wait for Rockstar to commit the resources necessary for a proper revival. It may be a long shot, but it’s one we’re not ready to give up on.